Brick's recreation department and the Chamber of Commerce are among the offices in Civic Plaza. / Bob Bielk/Staff photographer

Written by

Nicholas Huba

@nicholashuba

BEHIND THE NEWS

During the last two years, the future of the Civic Plaza has been a much talked about issue. In early 2012, the township attempted to sell the plaza, but negotiations with an unnamed buyer fell through. The township then pulled the site off the market after no one met the undisclosed price for the site.

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BRICK — The township has lost more than $530 million in assessed value since superstorm Sandy, and officials say they hope increased revenue from Civic Plaza will help offset the impact.

The plaza was purchased by the township for approximately $960,000 about 10 years ago after officials decided it would be cheaper in the long term to purchase the site than lease space. But township officials have struggled to find full-time, rent-paying tenants the last couple of years.

Now the new seven-member Township Council sees the strip center as way to lessen the tax burden on residents, said Mayor John Ducey, a Democrat.

“We are trying to rent the stores in Civic Plaza,” he said. “A tenant (Seashore Family Services) has been allowed to stay there without paying any rent. That tenant will be leaving by the end of January, so their space will be available for rent.’’

The township is seeking proposals from real estate brokers in an effort to increase occupancy at the Chambers Bridge Road shopping center, Ducey said. The plaza features various township offices including its recreation department. The Chamber of Commerce, Brick Township Education Association and Oscar’s Pizza Restaurant are also tenants in the plaza.

The 20,000-square-foot center, which sits on 2.5 acres, generates approximately $43,000 a year in revenue, largely from the restaurant, township officials said. The property's mortgage is paid off.

But officials think that could increase if the right tenants are found. Township officials estimated as much as $400,000 annual rental income could be possible at Civic Plaza. The money that is generated from the property goes to offset taxes, Ducey said.

“The town outright owns Civic Plaza at this point, so if we can generate revenue from the site it will help with our budget,” the mayor said. “We are going to need revenue due to the severe loss of $534 million in value because of superstorm Sandy.”

Brick was one of the hardest-hit municipalities on the Jersey Shore when Sandy made landfall Oct. 29, 2012.

According to LoopNet, a website dedicated to commercial real estate, there is a 1,350-square-foot store for rent at the property. According to the listing, the township is seeking $16 a square foot, or $21,600 a year, in rent.

“It is the most desirable location in the plaza as it faces the street,” Ducey said. “Hopefully, once that space is filled with a viable tenant, the other storefronts will fill.”

Joe Lamb, a longtime critic of township spending practices, said Brick should not be in the real estate market.

“From the start, this has been losing money,” said Lamb. “It’s something that we should not be involved in. The site is not full.”

Tim Puglisi, president of the Brick Township Education Association, said he would like to see the township continue to own Civic Plaza. The association office is there.

“This is a local place,” said Puglisi, who has been a resident of the township for more than four decades. “By keeping it, we can attract more local businesses.’’